Research Fellow

About the role

Applications are invited for a full-time Research Fellow position to work with Dr. Mikhail Karpukhin on the ERC-funded project “Eigenvalue optimisation and Minimal surfaces”. The project focuses on a spectrum of problems connecting optimal eigenvalue inequalities with minimal surfaces and other classical variational objects in geometry, e.g. harmonic maps.

The responsibilities of the post will include carrying out vigorous, high-level research in the area of spectral geometry and geometric analysis, submitting publications regularly in refereed journals; participating in local seminars and in national and international conferences.

This post is available from 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

This post is funded for 3 years in the first instance.

About you

Candidates should either have a PhD or equivalent qualification in mathematics or should be finalising their PhD or waiting for their viva date.

Please note: Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent on award and confirmation of a PhD (or equivalent). If this is not the case, the initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B, point 25 (salary £38,607 per annum inclusive of London allowance) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

The successful candidate is expected to have some expertise and research experience in spectral geometry, geometric analysis or min-max and variational problems in geometry, such as minimal surfaces, harmonic maps, conformal geometry and eigenvalue optimization problems.

An outstanding candidate will have an extensive expertise and substantial research experience in those fields.

For a full spectrum of duties and responsibilities as well as essential, and desired criteria please refer to the Further Particulars document attached to this advert.

If you have any queries regarding the vacancy or the application process, please contact Anna Rutherford ().

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Mikhail Karpukhin, email:

We particularly welcome female applicants and those from an ethnic minority, as they are under-represented within UCL at this level.

Customer advert reference: B04-06900

Advert information